Automated chemical analyzer with apparatus and method for conveying and temporary storage of sample tubes

Abstract

An automated chemical analyzer includes an automated conveyor apparatus for receiving a variety of sizes of test tubes, cuvettes, and sample tubes in a standard carrier member receivable into the analyzer. The standard carrier members may be interlocked in ranks and placed side by side in file to replicate the size and handling convenience of conventional test tube racks. However, the conveyor apparatus also provides for receipt of the carriers either as individuals for stat handling, or in interlocked ranks, or as rank and file groups for routine handling. The interlocked ranks of carriers are automatically unlocked from one another and fed along with the carriers having stat samples therein to a recirculating endless loop conveyor device which conveys the samples to at least one chemical analysis module, as well as providing a storage capacity both for samples in testing, and those samples awaiting verification of test results. Carriers with samples on which testing is completed and verified are discharged from the endless loop conveyor device into an off-loading facility which again interlocks the carriers and presents them in rank and file groups for subsequent handling like conventional test tube racks.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automated chemical analyzer for conducting selected chemical analysis including plural substantially identical interlinkable prismatic sample carrier members for carrying a plurality of samples, at lease one analysis module portion for analysis of said samples, said carrier members including means for removably interlinking and unlinking said carrier members together side-by-side by lateral relative sliding movement, said analyzer further including conveyor apparatus comprising: on-loading means for receiving interlinked elongate pluralities of said prismatic sample carriers;   means for unlinking individual sample carriers from said elongate pluralities of interlinked sample carriers;   conveyor means including plural substantially identical receptacles each for receiving an individual sample carrier and conveying said individual sample carrier to said analysis module portion;   means for feeding individual sample carriers into said receptacles;   means for transferring individual sample carriers between said receptacles and said analysis module;   off-loading means for transferring individual sample carriers from said receptacles toward an off-loading area; and   interlinking means cooperating with said off-loading means to interlink said sample carriers into elongate pluralities presented on said off-loading area.   
     
     
       2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said on-loading means includes an elongate tray member defining an upper surface upon which said interlinked elongate pluralities of sample carriers are slidably receivable, and first advancer means associated with said tray member for engaging and advancing said interlinked sample carrier pluralities toward said unlinking means. 
     
     
       3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said first advancer means includes a frame journaling an elongate lead screw and carrying a servo motor drivingly connected with said lead screw, a non-rotational nut member threadably engaged on said lead screw and moving longitudinally thereof in response to rotation of said lead screw by said servo motor, said nut member carrying carrier member engagement means for ratcheting engagement of said sample carriers on said tray member. 
     
     
       4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said ratcheting carrier member engagement means includes a pair of spaced apart pivotal drive dog members each movable along a respective side edge of said tray member and pivoting to engage said interlinked elongate pluralities of carrier members in response to movement of said nut member toward said unlinking means, said drive dog members pivoting to ratchet past said interlinked pluralities of carrier members in response to opposite movement of said nut member. 
     
     
       5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said first advancer is situated below said tray member, said drive dog members extending upwardly from below said tray member along a side edge thereof and extending inwardly of said tray member to on the one hand drivingly engage said carrier members and on the other hand to rachet over said carrier members in response to respectively opposite movements of said drive dog members relative to said tray member. 
     
     
       6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said means for unlinking individual sample carriers from said elongate pluralities of sample carriers includes an abutment surface against which said pluralities are engageable, lateral advancer means for advancing an interlinked elongate plurality of carrier members along said abutment wall so that one of said carrier members extends beyond said abutment surface and the next adjacent carrier member engages said abutment surface, and forward advancer means for advancing said one carrier member laterally relative said next adjacent carrier member to thereby unlink the former carrier member from the latter carrier member. 
     
     
       7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said lateral advancer means includes a housing journaling an elongate lead screw and carrying a servo motor drivingly connected with said lead screw, a non-rotational nut member threadably engaged on said lead screw and moving laterally in response to rotation of said lead screw by said servo motor, said nut member driving a pusher member engaging said elongate plurality of carrier members at an end thereof opposite said one carrier member. 
     
     
       8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said forward advancer means includes a frame journaling an elongate lead screw and carrying a servo motor drivingly connected with said lead screw, a non-rotational nut member threadably engaged upon said lead screw and longitudinally movable in response to rotation of said lead screw by said servo motor, said nut member driving an elongate push rod member slidably guided also on said frame, said push rod member at a forward end thereof carrying a pusher pad portion engageable with said one carrier member. 
     
     
       9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said conveyor means includes a frame movably carrying an endless loop flexible member, and a servo motor drivingly connected with said flexible member, said flexible member carrying a regularly spaced plurality of receptacle members upstanding thereon, each of said receptacle members being configured to receive a respective individual sample carrier member. 
     
     
       10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said conveyor means frame carries a transfer ram assembly defining a part of said means for transferring said carrier members between said receptacles and said analysis module, said transfer ram assembly including a guide block reciprocably receiving a ram member, a servo motor selectively reciprocating said ram member, and said ram member carrying a pusher portion at a forward end thereof extensible into said receptacles to push individual sample carrier members therefrom to said analyses module. 
     
     
       11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said conveyor means frame further carries another transfer ram assembly defining a part of said off loading means, said off-loading means further including an off-loading chute having an entrance leg aligned oppositely to said another transfer ram assembly, and said conveyor means disposing a selected one of said receptacles in alignment with said entrance leg to receive a carrier member therefrom. 
     
     
       12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said off-loading chute includes a resilient bifurcated wall member having a spaced apart pair of legs and urging carrier members received into said off-loading chute into engagement with a first reference surface defined opposite to said bifurcated member. 
     
     
       13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said interlinking means includes an arcuate pusher member operable between said legs of said bifurcated member to move said carrier members in said entrance chute therealong. 
     
     
       14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said off-loading chute is L-shaped to define a second reference surface against which said carrier members are moved by said arcuate pusher member, said interlinking means including a dual-function incremental advancer which with a smaller increment of advancement moves a carrier member in engagement with said second abutment surface a distance corresponding to the edge dimension of said carrier members in plan view, whereby the next successive carrier member in said entrance chute is moved along said first reference surface by said arcuate pusher member and laterally relative said preceding carrier member toward said second reference surface to thereby interlink said preceding and said next-successive carrier members. 
     
     
       15. The invention of claim 14 wherein said dual-function incremental advancer with a larger increment of advancing movement advances a completed plurality of said interlinked carrier members out of said off-loading chute and onto an off-loading tray member of said off-loading area. 
     
     
       16. The invention of claim 15 further including an off-loading advancer having an arm portion disposed across said off-loading tray member, said off-loading advancer in response to advancing of a completed interlinked plurality of carrier members onto said off-loading tray member by a larger incremental advancement of said incremental advancer engaging said plurality of carrier members with said arm portion to move said interlinked plurality of carrier members free of said off-loading chute. 
     
     
       17. The invention of claim 8 wherein said means for feeding individual carrier members into said receptacles includes said forward advancer moving said one unlinked carrier member past alignment with said abutment surface and along a loading chute aligned with a receptacle of said conveyor means. 
     
     
       18. The invention of claim 17 further including sensor means for sensing a rotational orientation of said one unlinked carrier member, and rotator means for rotating said one unlinked carrier member in a horizontal plane to a preferred orientation for receipt into said receptacle. 
     
     
       19. The invention of claim 18 wherein said rotator means includes a turntable defining a portion of a floor surface of said loading chute, and means for rotating said turntable. 
     
     
       20. The invention of claim 1 wherein said prismatic sample carriers each have a body which defines a generally square shape in plan view and a rectangular shape in elevation view with an upwardly opening central cavity for receiving a respective sample, said sample carriers each defining like pairs of opposed side surfaces one pair of which defines respective ones of an interlinkable horizontal dove-tail tongue and groove feature, and the other pair of opposed side surfaces defining a horizontal tongue and groove feature which mutually supports adjacent interlinked elongate pluralities of such carriers when mutually engaged. 
     
     
       21. The invention of claim 20 wherein said carrier members further include detent means for retaining said carrier members in interlinked engagement one with another. 
     
     
       22. The invention of claim 21 wherein said detent means includes said dove-tail tongue feature including a vertical notch, and said carrier member including a resilient detent member projecting outwardly in said dove-tail groove feature and receivable into said vertical notch to removably detent said carriers in interlinked relationship. 
     
     
       23. The invention of claim 22 wherein said receptacles of said conveyor means include a pair of spaced apart walls with a floor extending therebetween and onto which said carrier members are slidable, an abutment lip extending between said pair of walls at one side thereof, and an open side defined between said pair of walls opposite said abutment lip. 
     
     
       24. The invention of claim 23 wherein one of said pair of walls of said receptacle includes an upright resilient finger portion receivable into said vertical notch of said carrier member feature to retain said carrier members within said receptacles. 
     
     
       25. The invention of claim 18 further including identifier means associating with said rotator means to read an identification indicia associated with said sample within each individual sample carrier. 
     
     
       26. The invention of claim 19 wherein said identification indicia includes a bar code tag, and said identifier means includes a bar code reader. 
     
     
       27. The invention of claim 1 further including second on-loading means for receiving individual sample carriers. 
     
     
       28. The invention of claim 27 wherein said second on-loading means includes a respective second elongate tray member slidably receiving a single que of said sample carriers, and a respective second advancer associated with said second tray member for engaging and advancing said single que of sample carriers thereon. 
     
     
       29. The invention of claim 28 wherein said second advancer includes a frame journaling an elongate lead screw and carrying a servo motor drivingly connected with said lead screw, a non-rotational nut member threadably engaging said lead screw and moving longitudinally thereof in response to rotation of said lead screw by said servo motor, said nut member driving carrier member engaging means for ratcheting engagement with said sample carriers on said second tray member. 
     
     
       30. The invention of claim 29 wherein said apparatus further includes a lateral advancer for engagement with a first carrier member in said single que of carrier members to move said first carrier member laterally to said means for feeding said individual carriers to said receptacles. 
     
     
       31. The invention of claim 30 wherein said lateral advancer includes a guide block reciprocably receiving a ram member, a servo motor selectively reciprocating said ram member, and said ram member carrying a pusher portion at a forward end thereof engageable with said first carrier member of said single que of carrier members.